hugtopia_logs | ♥ December (Ranir) Event Log

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♥ December (Ranir) Event Log

a small fishing rod seated in snow, with the line leading down a water hole

December (Ranir) Event Log

As another year winds to a close, the air grows sharp with a wintery chill; the perfect weather for curling up with someone under a cozy blanket with some warm hot cocoa. To contrast the cold weather comes a distinctly festive warmth to the city itself; it's some holiday season, even if the natives still can't quite grasp what. While recovery from the recent worm-based catastrophe is still an ongoing thing, the natives are going through with the festivities as they've learned to celebrate: Decorations strung about the city are a bit haphazard and in all manner of colors both holiday-themed and simply colorful in general, the spirit and enthusiasm are certainly there.

❥ PROMPT I: See You Next Level

people ice skating around a rink at night, lit by multicolored star-shaped light fixtures

Residents who venture past the wall to the northwest of the arena to visit the fishing pond might find an unusual sight this month: it's frozen over. This is kind of a big deal, because the city hasn't had a substantial amount of open water in- well, no one quite knows how long! It seems to have totally frozen overnight, which is definitely unusual, but hardly the strangest thing to ever happen in Havenwell. Examining the ice will find it sturdy and solid, a good 6 inches thick at minimum. It is safe to walk on, and more importantly...

Excited for a new experience after all the glum and gloom, some local metalworkers are creating skate attachments that can be adjusted for size and connected to the shoes (or the feet, in the case of the local robotic population) of anyone who wants to give skating a try. Visitors to the area will find a booth set up, occasionally manned but mostly left as a trust exercise, with a collection of these devices that are free to use. Please take as many pairs as your party requires and skate to your heart's content! As a courtesy, borrowers are asked to return the skates once they're finished with them, but if you're really itching for a pair, the booth has the equivalent of a QR code you can scan with your communicator and commission a personalized pair.

It seems that part of the city is extra cold this season, because an influx of snow has practically drowned the arena, leaving a thick layer across the entirety and high piles along the sides. Locals have cleared the entrances and done their best to keep it functional, but those wishing to use the facility might find the ground far less sturdy than usual. You can use it as extra training, or maybe just give in to the urge and have fun with it instead. Go sledding, have a snowball fight!

❥ PROMPT II: Fresh or Frozen

a hand dragging a stick through blue bioluminescence in water, followed by someone's feet stepping into the same

Purveyors of the fishing part of the new rink might be unhappy to have lost their hobby, but hey, no one's stopping you from carving a hole in the ice and giving it a go regardless. There's bound to still be something down there, though perhaps not what you'd expect. While you're out at the lake with another person, if you should happen to look into the water through a hole or the ice itself, you might occasionally see a series of dancing lights flitting around beneath you, mysterious but innocuous. Sometimes they disappear if you stare at them too long. Sometimes they follow you. If curiosity gets the better of you, maybe you ought to try dropping a line - or a hand - in to see what it is. If you're feeling really brave and don't mind the cold, you could even take a dive in and see what's going on up close. (Funny: it's not nearly as cold as you'd expect it to be, considering the frigid circumstances.) And there's no reason to worry about the rink, either. Likely through whatever actually turned the pond to ice, any holes carved into the ice somehow manage to freeze again overnight, as though it was never broken in the first place.

Whatever method you choose, these dancing lights will swirl around hook or hands, pulsing gently, until that light bursts and manifests into something familiar. Something you've been wanting, perhaps, or something you once had and have missed dearly. Maybe something you hadn't thought about at all, but would bring you delight. You can pull it from the waters and find it intact and undamaged by the cold or the water, alive if it is a living creature, though it appears to be hibernating. Dry it off, take it home, and check on it in the morning; you will find your gift as whole and well as if you'd plucked it from wherever you'd find it back home. Do with it what you choose, it's yours now. For those who might have the clever idea to try fishing more than once, surprises may await in the form of...a waterlogged old shoe? An empty tin can? A broken fishing lure? The possibilities are as endless as the objects are useless.

For those who may not have any creature or object of note they need or want, it is also possible for fishing to produce a small crystal, faintly glowing with some form of magic. Leaving the crystal by one's bedside overnight will result in a peculiar but pleasant dream; fulfilling one's heartfelt desire. Whether it's wanting to see somewhere back on your homeworld, getting closure with someone not in Havenwell, or hang gliding off of Everest, you will be able to see your desire in a dream and awake comfortable and well-rested in bed the next day.

This is a regain event! One regain is allowed per character, and it can be anything (within reason) that would fit within the Item Regain: Medium (100 point) category on the Activity Rewards page. Like with AC Rewards, regains must be approved by mods prior to regaining them, so please use the form below and comment to the Regain Request thread.

Player:
Character:
Item requested:

❥ PROMPT III: Snow Problems

cartoonish images of dancing clouds, raining down snowflakes against a blue background

As the weather shifts to something seasonally chilly, on occasion some small patches of clouds can be seen in Havenwell--specifically, hovering over the heads of offworlders. These localized little clouds find people to stick to and follow them a couple of feet overhead to shower them with a gentle dusting of snow, so hopefully you have an umbrella handy. And while the snow can be just snow and nothing more, to others it might have one (or even several at once) effects to it.

Cheers To You: No matter how much one drinks or how they choose to mix their cocktails, they will find themselves completely impervious to the ill effects of alcohol. No hangover, but also no fun to earn it in the first place.

Hand it Over: Some with their own personal snow clouds may feel nothing odd except for a slight tingle in their dominant hand. Whether one stumbles upon the actual effect or not, it is a very simple change: the power of their unarmed punch becomes superpowered and several times stronger than normal.

Sticks and Stones: Still others may feel completely normal and go about their usual day's business with absolutely no awareness of any change but a persistent snowfall overhead. However, should they meet with anything that might ordinarily hurt, they will find that they have twenty-four hours of complete invulnerability starting from when their snow cloud latched on to them.

Time and Tribulation: Perhaps along with the slight chill comes a sudden awareness that one is a bit shorter than usual. Or taller? It would seem that yet another odd side effect of the little snow clouds is that one has aged an entire decade–in either direction, rendering them either younger or older. Luckily, the changes seem to stop at only physical…at least this time.

This event will run from December 15-31. Click on each prompt's title to see the text. If you have any questions, feel free to direct them to the FAQ or to the Mod Question thread. You can also use the Havenwell Status page or the General Plotting Comment to give you other ideas for original prompts!

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He likes to think he's pretty familiar with the layout of the town by now, but that doesn't mean there aren't going to be surprising little places popping up from time to time. But, if there are, it seems like they'll be overlooked today.

"It'd be easier to just stop by our place first, in that case..." Way faster than making a trek out toward the city, at any rate. Make some hot soup, or something warm to drink there... ah, but that's really different from stopping by a café to be treated, isn't it? "It would have been nice if they set up drink stands they had around a few years back."

Weird side-effects of the drinks aside, they had been pretty convenient. Perfect for such a chilly endeavor like ice skating.

"Is that so? That sounds like it would be cozy, if it is not an inconvenience."

Because she doesn't want him to feel as if he's going through any unnecessary trouble, even if it was her suggestion. Still, hard not to shake her head slightly at the mention of those stands. She certainly remembers them, but not too fondly.

"It would have been thoughtful for them to make the accommodation, though I'd much prefer a more... trusted source than those, at least."

Wanting something a little safer is fair, even if the dangers of the drinks had been, in Shinji's experience, more annoying than outright dangerous. But, ah, she seems to like the idea of dropping by for a warm drink...? He hadn't entirely expected that, and a small look of surprise crosses his face, but if it was truly an objectionable idea then he wouldn't have even put it in play in the first place.

"If you don't mind," making her a drink himself would be a little more meaningful than just buying something, right...? A better display of gratitude, so long as it's a good result. "Our home is nearby Rawna's temple. That's not too far, is it?"

Not all of the inconveniences of the world could be avoided, but it was nicer when it was a choice to do so. As for visiting his home, admittedly she was aware of who his housemates were and was admittedly a little curious, with all she had learned of care toward one's personal space how others might have adapted to do the same instead of simply accepting a space with no inclination to make it theirs.

"From this location, it's not so far at all. I am not usually in that part of the city unless it is a research concern, so it would be nice to have a change of pace."

A fresh scene, is it? Not like the housing is incredibly varied, but there's probably something to seeing a more lived in place outside of your own, he'd agree.

And, it truly isn't too much of a hike, but it's good that it wouldn't be so far out of her way that she'd decline. Good, good. "Hopefully it will be well worth your while, then," he says, a faint, polite smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

The first step, then, is to get back on their feet. Carefully, carefully, Shinji picks himself back up and on to his feet, making extra sure to keep his balance as he offers a hand down to Honerva.

She waits for him to steady himself, allowing him to help her up. Careful, careful.

"I'm certain it will be. Although we'll have to navigate ourselves to where we can retrieve our proper shoes, first. Let's take our time."

Not that she thinks he'll be eager to rush after their collision, but at least the ice area doesn't seem too crowded to give them a good path back to the other side of the lake.

Yeah, no, not after that awful mishap, he's more than happy to take his time getting the skates returned, especially if he has to be mindful of someone else as well.

"Of course." A leisurely time will be had, especially if they're being given a nice, clear shot to their destination. One easy trip to reclaim their shoes, mercifully with no interruptions!

One nice easy trip is all one could hope for. The area seems clear enough, most of the ice congestion having moved closer to the other sides (or likely fascinated by the glowing parts). Less conversation to be had to err on the side of caution and better capability to warn should something foreseeably go awry. Mostly, it's mindful navigation. The true treat will be shoes with more support to them on the other side.

"Keep steady. We have no need to rush the finish."

Not that she thinks he would push at this juncture, but she's known others who'd take speeding up to get there as a challenge accepted.

No speeding up today, just nice, short little shuffles and glides are in the cards until the stability of the skate-booth is reached. Once it's in reach, Shinji grabs the ledge with a soft 'phew' to steady himself nice and solidly. Thank you, booth, for being a totally stable fixture.

With that out of the way, Shinji turns back in order to gently offer Honerva his hand, letting her have that extra bit of steadiness for the remainder of that short trip. "Here we go." They'll be out of this silly situation soon enough!

She gives him an appreciative look for his kind gesture, as if to say he'd done well. She might be spry and agile, but exertion was exertion all the same.

"Thank you. This does give an appreciation for ordinary shoes, does it not?"

Ah, that was a good move on his part...! A fine step towards making up for his earlier mishap.

"No kidding," he agrees with a small sigh, as he keeps himself braced against the booth with one hand to better swap out the skates for his shoes. "It's hard to get used to, being on your own feet but with so little control..."

She makes her own adjustments, carefully slipping herself free of the skates.

"It almost reminds me of a shift in gravity. Not exactly a sensation we would ordinarily encounter while grounded on a planet."

Of course, this world did have it's own sort of gravity shifts in extreme sort of ways, but that isn't quite what she means.

"Something like that," he agrees, not that he has much experience with gravity shifts outside of things that have happened in Havenwell. It's still something he can relate to a little bit, having a strange degree of control to moving around.

It's easy enough to get stable on his feet now that he's not in the skates, and in no time, he's got his regular shoes back on. "Whenever you're ready." No rush! He's patient.

"I appreciate your patience."

Not that it takes her too much longer to slip from the skates to her boots sensibly, though she does continue to speak on the other subject while doing so. Not something she'd usually do, but more times than not she's aware when her context varies from others.

"While the gravity in those regards is usually regulated, there are those times when something might have gone awry, or it simply might be different than what one might be accustomed to. Learning to balance and move through those conditions are not so dissimilar to this."

Not that ice upon water can be compared to navigating the complexity of space, but it's still a change in how one moved.

It's a fun topic to talk about while they're walking, at any rate! Or, at least, one that Shinji doesn't mind letting her continue on.

"Is this something you have a lot of experience with?" She sounds pretty confident with this comparison, after all, and it didn't seem like she was having many problems with actually skating until he came along, as far as he could tell.

She doesn't like to feel as though she is dominating a conversation unnecessarily, but this portion at least seems like a safe enough topic to meander on a walk with.

"A fair bit, at least where adapting is concerned, since there was a lot more potential for things... to go sideways." A pause for a soft chuckle at the thought; she had more of a sense for the humor in it now, as deadly serious any situations might have been at a time, minor inconveniences aside. "Though I can safely say this still is a new experience for me. Witnessing skating is not quite the same as practicing in earnest."

Go sideways... it takes until her chuckle before Shinji realizes that was a joke (!!) she just made, though as the realization settles on him, he answers it with a small puff of a laugh.

"Ah, well, it's easier said than done with things like that, isn't it? Dancing, skating," piloting robots, navigating low-gravity situations, "There's a kind of skill that comes with practice and familiarity, I'm sure."

"Indeed. Even dancing, as an example, has been more difficult for me to make the adaptation to."

Likely because beyond just trust in a partner, there's a bit of trust to self-expression that is harder to reach, but not for lack of coaching of others.

"Still, if we do not put forth the effort, we might not know what we can eventually be capable of."

Interesting... he'd only used dancing as an example for his own, very brief foray with learning it, not expecting it to be something of a shared experience. Huh...!

"There's really no better time to learn these kinds of things than in Havenwell, I guess." Lots of free time suddenly dumped into everyone's laps, free to restructure their schedules however hey see fit, as far as he's encountered. Lots of time for everyone to find out what they are capable of. "Skating and dancing, and all sorts of other hobbies."

"One of the kinder aspects about being in this world is what time it allows for learning those things. While there are difficulties present that we work towards resolving, it is not wholly consuming to keep us away from... experiences that might have been overlooked otherwise. But... I would also say that the company here plays a large part in that."

People being brought together with different mindsets and being willing to listen to them could go a long way, if one relented in their stubbornness. One might not decide they cared to learn at all without a nudge in the right direction, if it had no perceived value.

That particular brand of kindness in this world is one that's not been lost on Shinji, and he gives an understanding nod.

"I know... there are plenty of things that I wouldn't have tried without the people I've met here being so encouraging." He's always been the sort of person who's susceptible to the suggestions of others, but the people he's gotten close with in Havenwell feel like they have his best interests at heart with it. "Even if it's not going great so far, I probably wouldn't have even been out on the ice in the first place if it weren't for my roommates being interested in it."

"At least you can be grateful that you were not hurt in the attempt, and perhaps come out of it with some new understanding. More importantly, it was still a choice you made on your own."

As opposed to them being forced into one of those awkward small-talk situations, at least they were making the talk of their own volition.

It was his own choice, in the end. It's a little more profound of a sentiment than he was expecting, but after a short pause, he nods a little in agreement.

"That's true." Perhaps it came somewhat from not wanting to feel left out, or disappoint the others, but there wasn't any reason he couldn't have actually stayed home instead, if he chose. But, to keep it light-hearted, "I'll probably need to chose to go out some more if I want to be good enough to not risk more collisions, though."

Her ears give a flutter as she smiles, taking in his words.

"With practice will come confidence. Perhaps... you will find other ways to continue learning when the ice itself is no longer present as well."

Skates with wheels would not be quite the same experience, but that all depended on if it was something he was interested in pursuing. Probably.

Is this something he even thinks is fun enough to keep practicing? Maybe, maybe not, but the option is probably there if he wants to look.

"I suppose so," he replies conversationally, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Do you think you'll try to keep practicing even as it warms up...?"

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shroudedsecrets - 2022-07-26 00:58 (UTC) - Expand

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